The Golden State Warriors are expected to get Jimmy Butler back on Monday, according to ESPN. The forward took a hard fall in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets and suffered a pelvic contusion. The Warriors lost that game, but bounced back with a 104-93 win in Game 3 on Saturday despite Butler’s absence. They enter Game 4 with a 2-1 lead in the series.
Butler is still officially listed as questionable, as of the 8:30 p.m. ET injury report. He participated in a light walkthrough at Monday’s shootaround, per ESPN.
Pregame on Monday, coach Steve Kerr told reporters, “We’re hopeful that he’ll play, but he’s gotta warm up first.” He added that Butler won’t be on a minutes restriction.
Butler played 42 minutes in Game 1, 40 minutes in the Warriors’ play-in win against the Memphis Grizzlies and 48 minutes in their overtime loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on the final day of the regular season. At practice on Sunday, Kerr told reporters that he’d asked Warriors director of sports medicine Rick Celebrini if Butler would be able to handle big minutes coming off the injury, and Celebrini “really wasn’t sure, he just said it’s going to depend on how he’s feeling once he’s out there.”
If Butler indeed returns to the lineup on Monday, it will make things a lot simpler for Golden State, especially on the offensive end. After the play-in game, Kerr told reporters that Butler had “completely changed everything for us” since arriving at the trade deadline.
“We’ve got the movement and the flow of Steph [Curry],” he said, “but we’ve also become, for half the game, a great iso team.”
If he can’t play 40-plus minutes, though, then the coaching staff will have decisions to make regarding the rotation. Is it safe to assume that Jonathan Kuminga will be removed from the rotation again? Will Game 3 starter Quinten Post will return to the bench and Game 3 reserve Moses Moody return to the starting lineup?
Kerr could go with the starting unit he used in the first two games because it worked so well during the regular season. Post helped Golden State’s rim protection and rebounding in Game 3, though, so don’t be surprised if he’s on the floor in important moments. And if Butler is limited — or his playing time is — then the Warriors will have to adjust again.
